Awning



Sept. 17, 1957 HUTCHISQN 2,806,260

AWNING Filed Oct. 6, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VF NTOR 1/0/7765 Fffulc/u'son ATTORNEYS Sept. 17, 1957 J. F. HUTCHISON 2,806,260

AWNING Filed 001;. 6, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 7 ,31 31 L004 31 i J- BT g, "ff fl- 7 27 27 1 INVENTOR Jd/WGS Huic/u'son ATTORNEYS AWNING James F. Hutchison, Houston, Tex., assiguor to Consolidated Venetian Blind (10., Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application October 6, 1953, Serial No. 384,373

4 Claims. (Cl. 20-575) This invention relates to awnings and more particularly to the type in which a plurality of edge-overlying spaced slats are mounted on a sloping frame to exclude sunlight and yet permit circulation of air therethrough.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved awning in which the slats may be mounted on the frame with a minimum amount of work and yet one in which the slats are securely held in position against relative displacement by wind or other forces which it may encounter.

According to the present invention, the slats are made of sheet metal or other relatively thin material which may be formed, cast or extruded, such as plastic material, and which may be opaque or partially light-transmitting.

A feature of the present invention is the provision of unique side bars forming the slat-supporting frame and unique slat formation whereby the forward longitudinal edge of each slat may be hooked over fingers carried by the side bars to interlock therewith, while the back longitudinal edge portion is secured to the side bars by a screw, rivet or other fastener.

The front edge of the slat is preferably formed to have a half-round curl or roll which, in addition to aiding in strengthening the slat against transverse bends, also serves as a hook or pocket to receive the tips of the fingers of the side bars. Preferably also, the slats are otherwise generally ogee in cross-section, which not only improves their appearance but facilitates their shedding of water, snow and the like, and in addition stiifens the slats against transverse bends. The rear portion of the slat may have a reverse curve similar in contour to the front portion and may terminate in a half-round curl, like that on the front portion, which acts to intercept and deflect matter forced upwardly and inwardly over the top surface of the slat by strong air currents.

Since the side frames and slats of the awning of the present invention are so easily assembled, the parts may be shipped knocked-down, to be assembled by the dealer or the ultimate user who need not be mechanically skilled for the work.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the awning of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the slats.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the side bars.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the side bars.

The awning of the present invention may, of course, be made as narrow or as wide as desired, dependingupon the particular window or other opening which it is to shade. It has a frame comprising side bars 10 and cross bars 11 and 12. The top cross bar it constitutes the upper end of the awning and is Z-shaped in cross-section nited States Patent 0 "ice having a vertical web 13 to be secured in place by any suitable form of fastening devices such as screws 14, which may be attached to a convenient part of the building 15 or other structure on which the awning is to be mounted. The top bar 11 has a longitudinal web 16 having a slight forward and downward slope projecting from the building and also has a depending web 19 overlapping the uppermost slat of the awning to cover the space between the same and the building. Depending from the web 16 are brackets 17 to which the side bars 10 are secured by bolts 18 or the like. The frame also includes struts 20 in the form of angle bars, the forward ends of which are secured to the lower ends of the side bars 19 by bolts 21 and the rear ends of which are attached to the building by suitable fastening devices 22. The front bar 23 is U-shaped in cross-section and has one web secured to the side bar by screw 24.

Secured to the side bars are slats 25 which extend horizontally and which are mounted in edge-overlying relation with a space between the overlying edges.

As indicated above, the present invention is directed particularly to the formation of the side bars 10, the

. out the use of tools may be employed between the front end of the slat and the side bar. However, it has been found advantageous to provide the front end of the slats 25 with a half-round curl or roll 26 extending for the entire length of the slat. This roll 26 not only stiffens the slat, which may thus be made of light-gauge metal or thin plastic material, but also provides socket portions to receive companion parts on the side bars 10.

In the form of the invention shown herein the rollededge 26 of the slat is engaged by fingers 27 carried by the side bars 10, the fingers each having a tip 28 which snugly fits into the roll 26. As shown in Fig. 6, the fingers 27 are integral with the side bar 10 but extend therefrom at an angle to be more or less horizontal. When the side bars have the form of an angle bar, the fingers 27 may extend upwardly from the web 10a thereof as shown in Fig. 6the web being blanked out to form the fingers and the fingers being bent at right angles to the web. I

The rear longitudinal edge portion of the slats 25 are secured to the side bars preferably by screw-type fasteners 29 which project through holes 30 in the slats and holes 31 in the web 10a of the side bars. It will be understood that the fasteners may be in the form of drive screws, self-tapping screws or bolts, or even rivets, if the slats are to be permanently assembled to the side bars.

The front portion of each slat 25 is preferably reversely curved in transverse cross-section bowing outwardly. This not only improves the appearance of the slat, but facilitates the shedding of water, snow, etc. therefrom, and stiffens the slats against transverse bending. It is preferable that the rear portion ofthe slat be reversely curved so that the web 28 of the side bar may engage along a line tangential to the curve where the slat is secured to the side bar by the screw 29, for in this way rattling of other parts of the slat with the side bar is avoided. Further, it is preferable that the inner longitudinal edge of the slat be provided with an upwardly extending edge 32 which may be a rolled edge like the front edge 26 and which will act as a baflle or barrier to prevent water, sand and the like from being blown up along the upper surface of the slat through the l I I 2,806,260

, 3 a space between one slat and the one next above it by strong air currents.

Preferably, the slat is so formed that the front and back portions at each side of the longitudinal medial line are formed identically in opposite directions so that by turning the slat over one way or the other either surface of the slat may be exposed. This has the advantage of permitting the slats to have different colors or finishes on opposite sideseither side being usable as the exterior depending on where the holes 31 are formed in the slat.

It will be observed that the slats are mounted on the side bars one above the other in such a way that the rolled front edge of one slat overlies the rolled rear edge of the next lower slat, and thus falling rain is cascaded fromlone slat to the other until it falls off the lowermost slat. As shown, the lowermost slat projects slightly below the side bars 10, the struts 20 and the front bar 23, and thus acts as a valance to finish-off the lower end of the awning.

In assembling the parts, which may be shipped knocked-down, after the cross bars 11 and 23 are secured to the side bars 10, the lowermost slat 25 has its rolledforward edge 26 hooked over the tips 28 of the lowermost fingers 27 and then the fasteners 29 are applied to secure the rear edge of the slat to the side bars. Then the next higher slat is hooked over the next pair of fingers Z7 and its rear edge is secured by fasteners 29; and so on, until all of the slats are in place. The snug fit between the tips 28 of the fingers 27 and the rolled-edge 26 of the slats securely hold the slats against rattling. The finger 27 may, as shown, have their upper edges shaped to conform to the contour of the surface of the slat with which they contact, but it will be understood that aside from the tip 28 of the finger fitting the rollededge 26, the upper surface of the finger may be entirely clear of the surface of the slat and may be of any desired shape.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. An improved awning construction comprising a framework including spacially connected side bars, said side bars having a plurality of aligned, integrally-formed finger portions projecting upwardly therefrom between the ends thereof, said finger portions having forwardly extending tip portions spaced above said side bars and a plurality of spaced, parallel, edge-overlying slats carried by said side bars, said slats having similar, reversely curled, longitudinal edge portions and reversely curved intermediate portions disposed between said reversely curled, longitudinal edge portions to form a reversible slat so that either curled, longitudinal edge portion is adapted to frictionally engage the forwardly projecting tip of said finger for securing the slat thereto.

2. An improved awning construction comprising a framework including side bars spacially connected at each end thereof by transversely extending top and front bars, side side bars having a plurality of aligned, integrallyformed finger portions projecting upwardly therefrom between the ends thereof, said finger portions having forwardly extending tip portions spaced above said side bars and a plurality of spaced, parallel, overlying slats carried by said side bars, said slats having similar, reversely curled, longitudinal edge portions for receiving and snugly fitting said fingers and reversely curved intermediate portions disposed between said reversely curled, longitudinal edge portions to form a reversible slat so that either curled, longitudinal edge portion is adapted to frictionally engage the forwardly projecting tip of said finger for securing the front edge of the slat thereto, and a fastener tangentially connecting a rear portion of the slat to said side bar to prevent rattling of said slats.

3. An improved awning construction comprising a framework including side angle bars spacially connected at the upper end thereof by a transversely extended Z-shaped top bar and at the lower end thereof by a U-shaped channel bar, said side bars having a web, said web having blanked out thereof a plurality of planar, aligned, integrally-fonned finger portions projecting upwardly therefrom between the ends thereof, said finger portions having forwardly extending tip portions spaced above said side bars and a plurality of spaced, parallel, edge-overlying slats, each of said slats having similar, reversely curled, longitudinal edge portions and a reversely curved intermediate portion connecting said reversely curled, longitudinal edge portions to form a reversible slat so that either of the curled, longitudinal edge portions is adapted to frictionally engage the forwardly projecting tip of said finger for securing the slat thereto, said Z-shaped top bar having a portion thereof overlying the rear longitudinal edge portion of the uppermost slat to prevent precipitation from driving therebetween and said channel bar underlying the lowermost slat, said latter slat forming a valance structure for shielding said channel bar.

4. An awning comprising a framework including side bars and a plurality of spaced parallel resilient slats carried by the side bars in edge-overlying relation to each other, the side bars each having fixed thereto a plurality of equi-spaced flat fingers extending perpendicularly therefrom, each of said fingers having a reversely curved outer edge and a forwardly extending projection having a contoured edge elevated above said side bars, said slats each being reversely curved so as to render the same slightly resilient and to substantially fit the reversely curved upper edges of said fingers and having a longitudinal forward edge shaped to fit and embrace the contoured edge of the finger projection whereby the longitudinal forward edges of the slats are anchored to the finger in operative position, and screw fastening means for fastening the rear edge portion of each slat to the side bars in position when the forward longitudinal edge is anchored on said finger projection and the reversely curved portion of the slat is in engagement with the reversely curved outer edges of the fingers, said screw means enabling said slat to be held taut so as to prevent rattling thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,244,012 Johnson June 3, 1941 2,497,419 Schwartz Feb. 14, 1950 2,577,482 Ray Dec. 4, 1951 2,639,476 Davis May 26, 1953 2,657,437 Moser Nov. 3, 1953 2,682,689 Helt July 6, 1954 

